Dems restive over W.H., Israel feud

Some members of President Barack Obama’s party began to question the White House’s confrontation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, as the standoff entered its fifth day.

An array of senior administration officials have rebuked Netanyahu for failing to reverse an embarrassing surprise announcement of planned new housing in East Jerusalem made during a visit to Israel last week by Vice President Joe Biden. The latest sign of U.S. displeasure: Special envoy George Mitchell canceled his trip to the region this week amid high tensions.

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U.S. officials sought to maintain pressure on the Israelis on Tuesday without further escalating the standoff. “We are engaged in very active consultations with the Israelis over steps that we think would demonstrate the requisite commitment to the process,” said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who also affirmed the “unshakable” alliance between the U.S. and Israel.

Netanyahu gave no public ground, however, and expressed gratitude for Clinton’s “warm words” about the relationship while insisting that his government had “proven over the last year that it is commit[ed] to peace.”

In a statement, Netanyahu’s office charged that the Palestinians are continuing to thwart the political process by demanding preconditions before the resumption of peace talks. “They are orchestrating a delegitimization campaign against Israel in international institutions,” the statement read.

Pro-Israel Democrats, who had largely held their tongues during the weekend, began to make their voices heard Monday night and Tuesday, saying that the White House had overreacted to the Israeli announcement and that the administration was taking the matter — which American officials have described as an “insult” and an “affront” — too personally.

“It was personal, and I think it shouldn’t be personal. It’s clear to me that [Netanyahu] was blindsided as well” by the announcement, Rep. Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) told POLITICO. “The timing was wrong, and it should have been criticized, but that should have been it.”

“Two days later we see this upswing in criticism, almost as if we wanted to grab onto the issue and use it,” he said.

“The appropriate response was a shake of the head — not a temper tantrum,” said another New York Democrat, Rep. Anthony Weiner. “Israel is a sovereign nation and an ally, not a punching bag. Enough already.”

A handful of other Democratic members of Congress, including New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Christopher Carney (D-Pa.), echoed the sentiment, while others issued more cautious statements affirming the strength of the U.S.-Israel relationship.

“The administration, to the extent that it has disagreements with Israel on policy matters, should find a way to do so in private and do what they can to defuse this situation,” New York Rep. Steve Israel said.